The invention relates to an arrangement for ventilating an assembly on a vehicle.
For maintaining limit temperatures on vehicle-side assemblies or similar technical apparatuses, it is generally known to ventilate these apparatuses during, driving through the use of an arrangement interacting with an air stream.
According to European Patent Document EP 0 291 650 A1, an inlet opening is provided on a locally pulled-up section of an underbody covering for the cooling of an assembly situated above the underbody covering, in which case a holding element for the underbody covering arranged adjacent to the inlet opening simultaneously forms a vane-shaped deflecting element for the air stream such that this air stream is guided by means of a lateral deflection onto the assembly to be cooled.
This type of air guiding results in relatively high flow losses. Further, it is not possible to accelerate the air stream on the path to the assembly to be ventilated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for ventilating an assembly on a vehicle such that the effectiveness of the ventilation is significantly improved without any disadvantageous influence on the aerodynamic coefficients (Cw, Cav, CaH).
According to the invention, this object is achieved by an arrangement for ventilating an assembly on a vehicle, characterized in that, upstream of the assembly to be ventilated, an air guiding element is provided which, in the cross-sectional view, has a vane-type profile and is set relatively steeply and on which an upper air guiding channel and a lower air guiding channel are constructed. A distribution of the air stream which, in the driving operation, is aimed at the air guiding element, takes place to both air guiding channels. Additional characteristics which develop the invention advantageously are described herein.
The principal advantages achieved by the present invention are that, as a result of the arrangement of an air guiding element, which viewed in its cross-section, has a vane-type profile and is provided with lateral walls, upstream of the assembly to be ventilated, a significantly improved ventilation of the assembly takes place since, because of the utilization of the two air guiding channels, which are situated above one another and taper toward the component, a larger air volume flow with a simultaneously higher flow rate is guided to the assembly to be ventilated.
As the result of the air guiding element, which viewed in its cross-section is of a vane shape, a relatively low-loss deflection of the air flow occurring while driving. Because of the contraction of the two air guiding channels, a local acceleration takes place of the flow rate of the two partial air streams. The vane-type air guiding element acts virtually as a double ventilating vane.
The air guiding element can be mounted in a simple manner, for example, by snapping it onto a chassis-fixed transverse strut. In the embodiment, the air guiding element is used for the ventilation or cooling of a differential gearing. A round section, which form-lockingly rests on the rear edge of the transverse strut, ensures a reliable seating of the air guiding element on the transverse strut. The fastening of the air guiding element can take place on all adjacent body, chassis or engine parts. The air guiding element may be manufactured of sheet metal or plastic and has a simple construction.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.